Community-level epidemiology of intestinal helminth infections and anemia in Harbu Town, northeastern Ethiopia
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HELMINTHOLOGY - ORIGINAL PAPER
Community-level epidemiology of intestinal helminth infections and anemia in Harbu Town, northeastern Ethiopia Elifaged Hailemeskel 1 & Berhanu Erko 2 & Abraham Degarege 3 Received: 24 February 2020 / Accepted: 24 August 2020 # Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract Anemia and intestinal helminth infections are overlapping health problems in developing countries. This study examined the determinants of intestinal helminth infection and anemia in a human population in Harbu Town, northeastern Ethiopia. A total of 484 individuals provided stool and blood samples as well as information about their sociodemographic characteristics and living practices in a community-based cross-sectional survey conducted between May and June, 2013. Stool specimens were examined for intestinal helminth infections using the Kato–Katz method. While a HemoCue machine was used to measure blood hemoglobin levels, a CareStartTM malaria Pf/Pv combo test was used to test the blood specimens for Plasmodium infection. Out of 484 individuals examined, 15.5% were anemic and 32.0% were infected with intestinal helminths. Plasmodium infection was not detected in any of the study participants. Schistosoma mansoni infection was most common (26.7%) followed by Hymenolepis nana (4.1%). The prevalence of S. mansoni and H. nana infection was greater among school-age children than in pre-school-age children and adults. The prevalence of helminth infection decreased with an increase in monthly income (P = 0.048) and varied among different occupations (P = 0.023). The odds of anemia increased with an increase in the age of individuals (adjusted odds ratio = 1.03, 95% CI = 1.01, 1.06). Hookworm infection was associated with anemia (P = 0.029). In conclusion, intestinal helminth infections and anemia were public health problems among the community of Harbu Town. Increasing age and hookworm infection may increase susceptibility to anemia. Controlling helminth infection may help to reduce the burden of anemia in Harbu Town, Ethiopia. Keywords Helminths . Hemoglobin . Anemia . Harbu . Ethiopia
Introduction Intestinal helminth infection and anemia are closely linked and overlapping health problems in developing countries. About 1.5 billion people in the world are infected with soiltransmitted helminths, including Ascaris lumbricoides, hookworms, Trichuris trichiura, and Strongyloides stercoralis
Section Editor: David Bruce Conn * Abraham Degarege [email protected] 1
Department of Biology, College of Natural Sciences, Wollo University, P.O. Box 1145, Dessie, Ethiopia
2
Aklilu Lemma Institute of Pathobiology, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
3
Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-4395, USA
(WHO 2020a). Schistosoma spp., which cause the disease schistosomiasis, also affect approximately 240 million people worldwide (WHO 2020b). Infections with soil-transmitted helminths and Schistosoma spp. are
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